Ponies by the Leat

The Devonport Leat was constructed in the 1790s to carry fresh water from high on Dartmoor to the expanding naval dockyards at Plymouth Dock (renamed Devonport in 1824). This section no longer carries water but can fill with water after heavy rains. The course of an old granite tramway runs close to the leat. Carts laden with granite blocks were once drawn along the metal tracks by horses, and near this spot you can still see the old tramway stables. Life for these ponies is a lot more leisurely, though the grass at the moment is short and turning yellow from the lack of rain.